Prepare for the hammers and saws

With March here, it may not quite be time to start planting your garden, but it’s a great time to “plant seeds” for a home remodeling project.

That’s because a successful home remodeling project doesn’t happen overnight. It requires thought, planning, and preparation. Doing your homework now means that when it’s time to actually start your project, you’ll be better prepared when the hammers and saws actually come out.

Where do you begin? It helps to prioritize your needs. A simple chart like the one you see here can help you identify your home renovation needs according to things that are “Must-haves”, “Nice-to-haves”, and “If-money-was-no-object”.

Must Have

Nice-to-Have

If-Money-Was-No-Object

Kitchen redesign for more workspace and breakfast nook.

Island in the kitchen

New appliances

Larger window for more light

Granite countertops

Wood flooring

Replace fixtures in Guest bath/powder room

New cabinets

New sink

Fun, “artsy” sink and extra built-in storage

Replace worn deck on rear of house

Extend deck to allow for more seating/grill

Create “outdoor kitchen” on the deck with built-in seating.

Prioritizing this way helps you budget for the things that really matter. But sometimes, you may find that some of the “nice-to-haves” (and even some “if-money-was-no-object” items) aren’t much more expensive because your labor is already covered.

After you’ve determined what you want/need to do, then you can start looking at ideas on sites such as houzz.com for ideas. And then you can talk to us about how to turn those ideas into reality.

March Home Maintenance Tip:

March 19 is officially the first day of spring for 2016, and that means it’s time for spring-cleaning. HGTV offers 7 Spring-Cleaning Tips that can make this yearly task a bit less of a chore.